This month’s profile features a photographer whom I have been following for quite sometime now. I always find his work to be inspiring and I am honoured that he agreed to give us some insight on his work and his website.
This month’s feature is on Andrew Houser of Houser Photography.
BOPB: How did you get your start in photography and when did your photography get more serious?
Houser: That’s a hard one to answer. Unlike many fellow photobloggers whose profiles I have read, I did not pick up a camera from my father when I was knee-high to a grasshopper and I have not been shooting for decades. Oddly enough, my father worked for Olympus for many years and while he always had the latest cameras, I had little taste for it. I was more of a traditional artist and scoffed at photography as not being a “true” art form. It wasn’t until about five years ago when I bought a little point-and-shoot that I got hooked.
I had actually bought a Canon Rebel EOS back in the early 90’s. I dreamt back then of creating masterpieces like Ansel Adams. The only issue for me was that the lag time between when I took the shot to when I received the print from the lab was such that it left me without any knowledge of why my image didn’t look like an instant masterpiece. That and the lack of any involvement in the post-processing left me feeling that no matter how compelling my subject might be, the ability to depict it as anything other than a snapshot was reserved for those with far better skill than me. I left photography alone for nearly 10 years.
As far as when my photography got more serious, I guess you can say it was not long after the epiphany of seeing my first image on the back of that LCD. It was 6 months before I was upgrading my camera. Another 6 months with that camera, and I was upgrading to my first D-SLR. It’s always evolving. It’s always getting more serious for me.
BOPB: What was your first camera? What camera are you currently using?
Houser: Well, as noted my first real camera was a Canon Rebel EOS. For digitals, I started with a Nikon CoolPix 3100, then a Minolta DiMage A1. I then jumped to the Nikon D70. That one died a tragic death 400 miles from civilization along the Maine/Canada border. It was quickly replaced with a Nikon D70s. I’m now using a Nikon D200 as my primary rig.
I’ve been quite happy with my Nikon cameras. I don’t get into the silly brand wars anymore. People tend to think what they want to think which is typically geared around which system they happen to own. In reality, the big two are fairly homogenous at this point, and it’s really down to ergonomics and which menu/button system seems to make the most sense to you. For me that’s just Nikon.
I have yet to get any face time with the D3/D300 series (something I plan to put into my arsenal this year), but I’ve heard the image processing pipeline really does up the game. That said, I’m sure Canon has a new super-high ISO/low noise processor right on the horizon.
BOPB: Gear-geek question, everyone wants to know what’s currently in your camera bag? And what’s the one piece of equipment that you couldn’t do without?
Houser: Oh man… I knew this one was coming. I remember in my early days wondering about the same thing of the photographers I admired. I also remember reading people writing things like “it’s not the gear, it’s what you do with it”. This, I thought, was something people with lots of cash and really nice gear could afford to say. For me, the working stiff, I just wanted to know what they were using.
I still drool when I see what Chase Jarvis brings on his location shoots. But I can’t tell you the last time I bought a piece of glass. More to the point, I was on a shoot this summer with my girlfriend. My card was filled up, but we were shooting in a precarious location and I didn’t want our model to have to wait while I loaded a new card, so I grabbed my girlfriend’s Canon and kept shooting. It’s hard to tell, looking at the comp sheet, which images were shot with the Nikon and which were shot with the Canon.
All of this will not satisfy the gear geeks, so in my normal kit is:
Nikon D200
Nikon D70s
Nikon 50mm f/1.8
Nikon 18-70 DX AFS IF f/3.5-5.6
Nikon 12-24 DX AFS f/4
Sigma 70-200 APO EX f/2.8
Manfrotto tripod with a Manfrotto ball-grip head
(BOPB: Andrew’s body of photographic work does indeed prove that it’s not what you have in your bag that’s important - just get out there and shoot!)
I’ve got a bunch of lighting gear. Mostly small flashes for remote Strobist stuff. Light stands, brollies, backdrop supports, reflectors, etc.
That’s really just the main kit. There are a few other lenses kicking around, a Nikon F100, a Holga, a few TLRs, some Kodak Brownies (amazing what you can find at flea markets). I used to want to be a glass-whore. After a while hiking around miles from the car park, you quickly realize less is more. I have my full range pretty much covered at this point. I’d like to replace the 18-70 with a faster 17-55 DX f/2.8, the tele should be a Nikon brand, and I really should invest in an 85 f/1.8 or 105 f/2.8 for portraiture, but I shouldn’t complain. It’s easy to get caught up in the gear race. Camera manufacturers would love it if we all upgraded each time they dangle a new carrot. But it’s important to focus on the images.
BOPB: Much like you, I am particularly fond of landscape imagery, what drew you to landscape photography?
Houser: I suppose it’s where I grew up. Maine is quite different from many parts of the USA. It is a rugged terrain formed by wind water and glaciers. Our winters are harsh and our flora represents hearty species that can handle the duration of the chill. Because of the terrain and weather, Maine has large tracts of pristine woods and nearly untouched coastline, although sadly that is changing. Many of my landscapes are done solo in questionable conditions. I won’t try to sound esoteric and say that there is a communing with nature at these times, but it is something to walk away from where there are any people and just kind of “be” in the elements.
BOPB: Are they any challenges that you think are unique to photographing landscapes over another type of photography?
Houser: I think each type of photography presents a unique set of challenges. I think for landscape photography, it is both patience and time. Landscape photography does not happen at 11am or 3pm… at least not often. It becomes a bit for forgiving on one’s schedule in the winter months, but then the elements and temperature work against you. And then even if you can adjust to the schedule, you have to have the patience to wait for everything to come together at the right time. The exact same spot at the same time every day will look different as the Earth’s position around the Sun and the angle in the sky change, and atmospheric and weather conditions change. There are so many mornings when I have ventured out looking to bag a shot only to come home empty-handed. A landscape photographer has to have the patience to wait days, weeks, or even longer to get a good shot.
In addition, unlike a portrait photographer that can come out of a session with 10-20 solid shots, a morning out for a landscape photographer may yield 3-4 gallery images if they are industrious or lucky.
BOPB: Are there any photographer/artists out there that influence your work?
Houser: I’m still trying to figure out how much my work is influenced by another’s work and how much is inspired. Look, there are tons of photobloggers I really enjoy looking at. Far too many to name drop. Even with non-photobloggers, the list is HUGE. You should see my bookmark list. It’s ridiculously too large to manage. Isn’t it amazing how inundated we can be with images if we have the time to do so?
But if you’re looking for some of my recent inspiration, have a look at these photographers:
David Burdeny
Dennis Oliver
Joseph Hoflehner
Michael Kenna
At the end of the day, I have to note that I find myself more drawn to contemporary photography. I’ve gone to a number of photography exhibitions at museums and galleries focusing on photographers and collections from the early to mid 20th century and without trying to sound ignorant to the accomplishment of photographers from that time, I found myself quickly bored with the presentation. Perhaps I just got a bad batch, as just today I saw some stunning urban work done around 1900 and was stunned by the clarity and composition. I guess for me, I see the ingenuity and creativity of a whole new generation of photographers aided by the tools of this age to push the boundaries of photography, and that inspires and excites me.
BOPB: I’ve noticed the blog name change and some changes in the type of work on your photoblog, you seem to have been shooting a lot more portraits lately. Is this something you want to explore more, or is it just a break from your landscape work?
Houser: I got to spend last winter in England (oh how I miss that little isle). While the living was good over there, it was a time of transition for me. I knew that I wanted to do something more with my photography, but living intercontinental made starting that endeavor a bit difficult. It had to wait until I was back in the states and settled.
My old photoblog was quickly outpacing the 10Gigs of traffic allocated to it each month. I also wanted to present my work more as a collection , so coupling the photoblog with the rest of that effort just seemed to make sense.
Once I got back, I also put some effort into other areas of photography. Namely portraiture. I’ve been quite happy with my efforts, but I realize it’s a bit of a departure for some people who may have followed my work for some time. The bottom line is that while I hope my landscape and fine art work gets more showings and produces sales, I also hope to become a working photographer at some point. Paying the bills may include taking on other types of work until the gallery sales take off.
BOPB: Could you tell us a little about Sea Glass Photography?
Houser: Sea Glass Photography is the principal business vehicle of my girlfriend. She worked very hard in my absence to build a brand and clientele to support the business. It has her stamp all over it. I currently shoot weddings and assist on some family shoots under the name of Sea Glass Photography and occasionally we book models under that business. But the truth of the matter is that while I will continue to support my girlfriend in her efforts on that business, I’m also looking to build my own brand. I’ve recently had model shoots under my own name and look to take on work that is diverse and non-competing with Sea Glass Photography which interests me.
(BOPB: I love the work on Sea Glass’s site, and would reccomend that everyone go and check it out!)
BOPB: If there was one piece of advice that you could give a photographer who is considering starting up a photoblog what would it be?
Houser: I think it would be to persevere. A few years ago we had a tight network of highly supportive photobloggers. Social networking sites like Flickr, DeviantArt, and others have changed the landscape – you simply can not ignore that fact. But it can be far more rewarding to build a photoblog and integrate into part of this community. Feedback and inspiration can be more frequent and reliable in the photoblog community. It does take time to build – not just the site, but the relationships. But if you persevere, it will be worth it.
BOPB: Where do you see your photography and your blog in the next 3-5 years?
Houser: Heh… hopefully completed. My site as a whole has a bunch of missing pieces. The photoblog is still lacking some functionality that a lot of people enjoyed on my previous version.
In time, I would like to share more of my knowledge, and my imagery, to help grow and inspire our ever-growing community of ambitious photographers.
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